There is lots going on at the moment to celebrate the rich cultural, religious, natural and architectural heritage that we have the great privilege to live and work alongside. Last Thursday Wells was long-listed to be the UK City of Culture from 2021 and last Friday, I joined the Mayor of Glastonbury, Michael Eavis and others in making the case for investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund at Glastonbury Abbey.
On Sunday, I was back at the Abbey again to welcome 25 international tour operators who were here on a visit organised by Visit Britain and then, ironically, I left the ruins of that once mighty church to join a service at the Cathedral for the start of the commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Additionally, there is growing interest in seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for the ecclesiastical estate in Wells and the remainder of the monastic estate in Glastonbury and a real enthusiasm for more keenly promoting Shepton’s importance to the global cider industry as well. Meanwhile, the nature reserves at Westhay and Shapwick Heath continue to gain global recognition and Somerset’s food producers are being served in the very smartest London restaurants.
In most places, an amazing cathedral, or the Abbey, or the music festival, the gorge, the food, the drink, the nature, the Levels, the literary festival, the caves, the hills or the beaches would be the one thing that made a place remarkable. Yet here in our small corner of Somerset, we’ve got the lot.
It's great that we’re really starting to shout about it. I've no doubt that the tourists will hear us and when they’ve come once, they’ll come back again and again and again.